Seven years ago, artist Michael Landy was left with just a cat after he destroyed all his 7,226 belongings in his headline-grabbing artwork Break Down. Now he has turned his attention to the people in his life with a new show at the Thomas Dane Gallery in London featuring 45 pencil portraits of his family and friends, including Tracey Emin and Rachel Whiteread.

How's life been for you since making Break Down?

It's been hard reconstructing a whole life. I realised as soon as we started Break Down that I'd become known forever as 'that bloke who destroyed all his worldly belongings'. I'm not annoyed by it. What I learned from Break Down was the importance of tapping into personal issues.

How did the portraits show come about?

About eight months ago, I bought a mirror and started to draw myself. Then I drew my family, and then a lot of people I've known for 20 years, since leaving Goldsmiths. It's like a juncture: 'We've got this far.' But it's also about the ageing process and growing old together.

What are the portraits like?

They have no neck so they are just heads, they look like bubbles about to burst, like ghosts. I stand right by the sitter's face so it's quite intense. My studio has become like a confessional - I've got a lot of dirt on people!

Who was the most difficult sitter?

Karsten Schubert, my ex art dealer. After about 10 minutes he started itching and said: 'I just can't stand this anymore.'